The present invention relates generally to a system for maintaining food items at required temperatures and more specifically to a modularized system for temperature maintaining food receptacles in a food service establishment.
As is well known to those familiar with restaurant establishments and the like, self-service buffet bars are extremely popular. Generally, self-service buffet bars are of two basic types. The first type is a free-standing buffet bar that includes a cabinet having a counter top provided with one or more openings. The openings are fitted with one or more relatively shallow pans used to hold crushed ice. Food or condiment containers of assorted sizes are then placed in the ice so that the foodstuffs in the containers are maintained at a relatively low temperature to preserve the contents against premature spoilage.
This known type of buffet bar has been in use for many years and suffers from a number of shortcomings. Such buffet bars require a very high level of maintenance since the ice must be frequently replenished as it melts. Often, the ice is not timely replaced and the foodstuffs are subjected to unacceptably high temperatures. This may result in food spoilage and may have serious health related consequences for those who consume food exposed to such elevated temperatures. Additionally, health code violations may result which have adverse consequences, such as fines, closure of the establishment, damaging publicity and loss of patronage.
A second type of known buffet bar incorporates a fixed refrigeration unit within the buffet bar cabinet having an extended cooling coil positioned against the bottom of a cold pan or plate located beneath the food containers. Unfortunately, the cooling coil presents difficulties in maintaining a suitable controlled heat transfer relationship between the containers and the refrigerated plate or recessed pan and may result in the foodstuffs either freezing or becoming too warm. Such refrigeration units are expensive to purchase and to maintain.
Additionally, temperature control of individual food containers cannot be easily accomplished since only a central refrigeration unit is provided. Individual temperature control is desirable in more sophisticated food service establishments where haute-cuisine cooking may required individualized temperature of various food components.
Typically, the entire buffet bar must be removed from service for an extended period of time to effect repair of the refrigeration unit. This is a significant disadvantage of both types of buffet bars and is inherent to fixed refrigeration systems which may become a significant liability when repair is required. Even more significantly, federal environment protection regulations may require the purchase of expensive equipment to service and repair the refrigeration unit on site. Thus, the manager of a food service establishment utilizing such buffet bars may be subject to significant inconvenience and cost when the refrigeration unit requires servicing and repair.
Known buffet bars typically use a refrigeration/heating system that relies solely on Freon or other chloro-fluorocarbons (CFC) considered detrimental to the environment and now subject to strict regulation and phase-out provisions.
Typical CFC replacement refrigeration/heating devices are expensive to purchase and maintain.
Prior art attempts to improve buffet bars in food service establishments have failed to provide a buffet bar with an efficient system having modular replaceable refrigerated food containers.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular temperature maintaining food container system where individual temperature maintaining modules can be physically positioned independently of each other and without need of a single tabletop.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular temperature maintaining food container system where the temperature of individual food containers can be independently controlled.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a modular temperature maintaining food container system where each temperature maintaining module may be rapidly and easily disconnected from and added to the system.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a modular temperature maintaining food container system that can be easily moved from one location to another.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a modular temperature maintaining food container system where the heat exchange device uses minimal chloro-fluorocarbon technology.
It is still an additional object of the present invention to provide a modular temperature maintaining food container system where each module contains a thermostatically controlled heat exchange device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular food container system that can easily be modified to cool or heat food receiving modules.